Hinge construction for toilet seat and cover combination



p 1958 H. H. REINHARD 2,852,786

HINGE CONSTRUCTION FOR TOILET SEAT AND COVER COMBINATION Filed June 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR.

Sept. 23, 1958 H. H. REINHARD ,7

HINGE CONSTRUCTION FOR TOILET SEAT AND COVER COMBINATION Filed June 20. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW United States Patent 6 M HINGE CONSTRUCTION FOR TOILET SEAT AND COVER COMBINATION Herbert H. Reinhard, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Sperzel Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application June 20, 1956, Serial No. 592,553 l Claim. c1. 4-236) My invention relates to toilet seats and covers therefor, and more specifically to improvements in toilet seats and covers of the nature disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,744,264., It will be observed by reference to said patent that the hinge brackets 22 for the cover 17, are detachably secured to the undersurface 18 by screws or the like 23. Not only is this arrangement relatively costly, but it is undesirable from the point of view of appearance.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described wherein all of the hardware including the hinge brackets for the cover are completely concealed from view.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described wherein the hinge pintles for the cover are completely concealed within the depending peripheral flange at the rear of the cover.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described wherein the hinge pintles for the cover are more positively secured to the cover than heretofore.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class above described which is relatively inexpensive to produce, which is attractive in appearance, and which is rugged and durable in construction.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claim and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a conventional toilet bowl showing my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan of the structure of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in rear elevation, as seen substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in vertical section as seen substantially from the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen substantially from the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a conventional toilet bowl, having a supporting shelf 2 at its rear end portion. Adapted to be supported on opposite sides of the shelf 2 are a pair of bearing brackets or caps 3 having aligned apertures 4 in their opposite walls 5. A conventional toilet seat 6 has a rearwardly projecting anchoring tongue 7 snugly received between the bearing brackets 3. Projecting As shown, the pintle elements 8 and 9 project through the aligned openings 4 in the walls 5 of the bearing brackets 3. Also, as shown, the said pintle elements 8 and 9 project through the looped upper ends 19 of anchoring bolts 11. The lower ends of the anchoring bolts 11 project downwardly through openings 12 in the supporting shelf 2 and therebelow are provided with threads for the reception of nuts 13. Preferably and as shown, coil compression springs 14 are interposed between nuts 13 and the underside 15 of the shelf 2.

The cover 16 is provided with a depending peripheral flange 17 which at its rear end is relatively thick, as indicated by the numeral 18. The relatively thick portion 18 of the flange 17 is notched, as indicated by the numeral 19, for the snug reception of the anchoring tongue 7 and the bearing brackets 3. The flange portion 18, adjacent opposite ends of the notch 19, defines opposed recesses 20 which open through the bottom thereof, as indicated at 21.

Hinge pintle members identified in their entirety by the numeral 22 have enlarged heads 23 which are receivable one each within one of said recesses 21!, and opposed rotatable bearing portions 24 and 25 which extend laterally outwardly toward each other from the recesses 26! through the openings 4 in the bearing caps 3 and have concentric rotative engagement respectively with the pintle elements 18 and 19 within the bearing caps 3. It will be noted that the bearing portion 24 is tubular and receives therewithin the pintle element 8, whereas the rotatable bearing member 25 is received within the pintle element 9. Preferably and as shown, bearing plates 26, having segmental notches 27 therein for the reception of tubular pintle parts 9 and 24, are interposed between said parts and the supporting shelf 2, within the bearing caps 3.

By reference particularly to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the pintle members 22 are formed to define cylindrical portions 28 intermediate the enlarged heads 23 and the rotatable bearing portions 24, 25. The heads 22 are totally received within the recesses 28 so that the lowermost surfaces 29 thereof are in spaced relation to the bottom surface 30 of the flange portion 18. A screw 31 extends upwardly through an opening 32 in each of the heads 22 and has screw threaded engagement with the flange 18, as indicated at 33.

In order to totally conceal the heads 22 within the recesses 20, I provide caps therefor, said caps being identified in their entirety by the numeral 34. Caps 34 include imperforated button-like portions 35 adapted to engage the lowermost surfaces 29 of the heads 22, and completely conceal said heads 22, and also angular, laterally spaced, yielding jaws 36, see particularly Fig. 6, which are adapted to be snapped into locking engagement with the cylindrical portions 28 0f the pintle members 22, thus locking buttonlike portions 35 in operative positions completely concealing the heads 23 and the screws 31.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects and while I have disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be specifically understood that same is capable of considerable modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

Cover means for a toilet seat, said means comprising a pair of bearing brackets adapted to be secured to the supporting shelf of a conventional toilet bowl in laterally spaced relationship, a cover having a depending peripheral flange at its rear end, said flange defining a notch for the reception of said bearing brackets, said flange at opposite ends of said notch defining recesses which open through the bottom of the flange, said recesses having opposed portions opening into said notch, hinged pintle members defining enlarged heads and cylindrical portions, one each relationship to the bottom of said flange, and caps for 10 said recesses, said caps covering the openings of said recesses at the bottom of the flange and being provided with angular laterally spaced yielding jaws, said jaws being adapted to be snapped into locking engagement with said cylindrical portions of the pintle members to retain said caps in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,262 Sperzel May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 415,416 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1934 

